Jubilee

MADISON'S BOOK CLUB

Madison has looked at her first superhero comic book. Actually, this wasn't a comic book - it's one of those "Look and Find" books somewhat like a "Where's Waldo?" In this particular book, the reader is challenged to sift through all the stuff on each two-page spread in order to try and find various objects and heroes. Madison enjoys these types of books, and in fact is pretty good at them. Once she's discovered a location, she'll know that location until the next time. This is why this particular book is pretty good: it features a lot of things to look for. Plus, it features some of Daddy's favorite heroes in it too.

Daddy has a billion comics from "back in the day." Okay, maybe not billions. But four very large tubs filled with comics - and good ones, too. During the 90's, Daddy collected comics rather heavily, and in fact was very good about keeping track and keeping care of them. Currently, they are in the basement, each in a sleeve, and all of them in plastic tubs to protect them from the environment.

For Daddy, it all started in a comic shop somewhere outside of Denver. I was on a road trip out to Colorado with a buddy, and he wanted to drop by a comic book shop there. I joined him, and started getting into the comic "Wolverine."

I was so into comics that when I met Mommy in the 90's, I seriously entertained the idea of naming our first daughter "Jubilee." I've always liked that name, and in comics, this is an Asian "mall rat," who discovers the X-Men while hanging out in a local mall. She has Chinese heritage, but Daddy never really considered that when thinking of a name for a daughter - he had no idea he'd someday be going to China to meet his future daughter. Eventually, the name "Madison" began to float back and forth between Mommy and I. In time, it became the number one choice for a name, over "Jubilee" and even over another early candidate "Juniper," which Mommy and Daddy both like.

Daddy stopped collecting comics when he met Mommy. It wasn't that she made him, or even that he had to give it up. There was a natural conclusion to a story arc, and I just felt it was time to stop. It has potential to get carried away, and even addicting - but I had an easy time of it. From time to time, I'll peek back at what is going on currently with all the characters. Most of the time, I'm disappointed - and glad I stopped collecting. I'm not sure what era they'll call the 90's, when it comes to comics. It wasn't "golden" or even "silver." But it sure was a great time to collect them. Makes me want to go back and pick up a few to read!